Depeche Mode, 'Grandfathers Of EDM,' Go From Retro To Timeless In Toronto (Interview, Live Review)

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 01: Dave Gahan and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode on stage during 'The Delta Machine Tour' at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on September 1, 2013 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Jag Gundu/Getty Images) | Getty

The crowd at Depeche Mode's sold-out Sunday night show at Toronto's Molson Ampitheatre may have given the impression that there were a heckuva lot of babysitters on duty across the GTA, but the music hardly sounded as old as much of the audience.

That's the benefit of being an electronic act, even one as guitar-fuelled as Depeche Mode. They can update the synth sounds to belie the fact that the UK band has been around since 1980. Or maybe vintage synth sounds have become so de rigeur during the last decade that Depeche Mode has collapsed into its own pocket universe where time is meaningless. Which is a pretty good metaphor for a nostalgic show like this which, ultimately, makes both the band and their fans feel young again. But there was something more at work.

Hits like "Enjoy The Silence," "Policy of Truth" and "Walking In My Shoes" don't sound as darkly futuristic as when they came out. But as performed by now-ageless Dave Gahan (51, actually, but now boasting six-pack abs when the ex-junkie was once lucky to just be alive), guitarist-songwriter Martin Gore and keyboardist Andrew Fletcher, they now sound timeless.

This was especially true of "Personal Jesus," which was begun as a slow, old-timey western ballad before the guitar hook crunched in and knocked us all down even as we shouted out the chorus.

It helps that the new songs off their 2013 album "Delta Machine" -- at least the singles "Angel" and "Heaven" -- fit so snugly alongside the old songs, even if their choruses aren't quite as sing-alongable, and that Gahan's baritone hasn't lost any of its dramatic heft. (Neither has Gore's vocals on his trio of lead vocal tracks, even leading him to admit "It's like a musical" during fan favourite "But Not Tonight.")

If there was any doubt of the continued power of Depeche Mode, it was quickly dissipated by the tight-shirted gentleman who enthused to me: "These guys liberate my fucking soul, bro!" Yes, the gayest straight band in history -- one whose shirtless fifty-something lead singer gleefully humped the mic stand while doing jazz hands -- has young bro fans, too.

So why does Depeche Mode still feel so current compared to their 80s new wave and synthpop brethren? Well, we earlier asked original member Andy Fletcher to find out.

A lot’s changed in the music scene in the last four years since your previous album, particularly the rise of EDM in North America. How do you think that is going to impact the return of Depeche Mode?

I don’t think it directly affects it, because I think we’re deemed to be sort of the grandfathers of it, but not directly the stars of it. Obviously, if lots of young people are listening to electronic music that’s always going to be good for us. I don’t think it’s going to be a massive wave of hundreds of thousands of 16 or 17 year olds going to Depeche Mode concerts.

Q&A continues after slideshow

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TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 01: Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode on stage during 'The Delta Machine Tour' at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre on September 1, 2013 in Toronto, Canada.

British group Depeche Mode's singer David Gahan performs during the Bilbao BBk Live music festival, on July 11, 2013, in the Northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao. AFP PHOTO / RAFA RIVAS (Photo credit should read RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

British group Depeche Mode's singer David Gahan performs during the Bilbao BBk Live music festival, on July 11, 2013, in the Northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao. AFP PHOTO / RAFA RIVAS (Photo credit should read RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

British group Depeche Mode's singer David Gahan (R) performs next to Alan Wilder (L) during the Bilbao BBk Live music festival, on July 11, 2013, in the Northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao. AFP PHOTO / RAFA RIVAS (Photo credit should read RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

The british lead singer David Gahan from the band Depeche Mode performs at the Optimus Alive music festival at Alges, on the outskirts of Lisbon, on July 13, 2013. The Optimus Alive music festival runs from July 12 to July 14. AFP PHOTO/ PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA (Photo credit should read PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images)

CLARKSTON, MI - AUGUST 22: Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode performs during their tour opener in support of The Delta Machine Tour at the DTE Energy Music Theater on August 22, 2013 in Clarkston, Michigan. (Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images)

Depeche Mode's Martin Gore has beef with 'X Factor' judge Simon Cowell.
In an interview with 'Music Week', Martin voiced his negative opinion for singing competition shows like 'X Factor' and joked that Simon should be shot. Simon, who received serious death threats in the past while judging on the 'X Factor UK'- did not take this lightly and responded on Twitter, calling Martin a weirdo.

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Depeche Mode, the British synthpop pioneers whose hits "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" cemented their status in 1980s New Wave and beyond,

In this WatchMojo video, we take a look at the history of the English electronic band, Depeche Mode.

British New Wave band Depeche Mode announced their new album and world tour in Paris on Tuesday. The trio will kick off in Tel Aviv in May 2013 shortly after the release of their new record.

bonus tracks "The Deluxe Box Set Edition of Sounds of the Universe"

Released 28 December 1987 A-side "Behind the Wheel"

from the album Playing the Angel B-side "Newborn" Released 12 December 2005

from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion

best live ever!!!

A simple and diferent version of ''enjoy the silence'' remade by me, specially for you that appreciate DM. Enjoy it! DOWNLOAD MP3: www.mediafire.com

Esta canción de Depeche Mode del albúm Playing The Angel es para cantar pero incluye al final una pequeña ayudita de Dave y de Martin (la ayudita la puse yo) disfruten la canción letra: I'm not sure what I'm looking for anymore I just know that I'm harder to console I don't see who I'm trying to be instead of me But the key is a question of control Can you say what you're trying to play anyway I just pay while you're breaking all the rules All the signs that I find have been underlined Devils thrive on the drive that is fueled All this running around, well it's getting me down Just give me a pain that I'm used to I don't need to believe all the dreams you conceive You just need to achieve something that rings true There's a hole in your soul like an animal With no conscience, repentance, oh no Close your eyes, pay the price for your paradise Devils feed on the seeds of the soul I can't conceal what I feel, what I know is real No mistaking the faking, I care With a prayer in the air I will leave it there On a note full of hope not despair All this running around, well it's getting me down Just give me a pain that I'm used to I don't need to believe all the dreams you conceive You just need to achieve something that rings true(x2)

More videos in the blog »»» BEST MUSIC VIDEO HD bestmusicvideohd.blogspot.pt

Artist: Depeche Mode Song (Remix): Free Shame (Free "Playing The Angel B-Side". Shame "Construction Time Again") Remixer: Faith & Devotion Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke. Playing the Angel is the eleventh studio album by English electronic band Depeche Mode, released in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2005 by Mute Records and in the United States and Canada on 18 October by Sire Records and Reprise Records. It was supported by the Touring the Angel tour. Construction Time Again is the third studio album by the British electronic band Depeche Mode, released in 1983. This was the first Depeche Mode album with Alan Wilder, who composed the songs "Two Minute Warning" and "The Landscape Is Changing" (as well as the B-side "Fools"). The title comes from the second line of the first stanza of "Pipeline". The album was recorded at John Foxx's Garden studios in London, engineered by Gareth Jones (who had also engineered Foxx's seminal electronic album, Metamatic). It was mixed in the Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin. The album's cover artwork features the Matterhorn mountain. Extra Tags: Depeche Mode Dave Gahan David Gahan Martin Gore Martin L Gore Andrew Fletcher Alan Wilder Vince Clarke Depeche Mode Remix Depeche Mode Megamix Depeche Mode Free Depeche Mode Shame

Back when you first broke through, electronic music was pop music, and then for a long time it was not anymore. And even during the rave scene, it never really got poppy again. Now, it’s all over the radio. Do you hear a Depeche Mode, Erasure era of musical influence in the pop music of today?

You have to remember in the '80s, we got so much flak from rock journalists saying it was the wrong way to music. Of course, the way we made music in those days is now how all music is made. Again, that doesn’t really mean automatically that we’re going to have this massive wave of new fans. Indirectly, it’s good. All these new artists now think of us in the way we thought of Kraftwerk [as electronic pioneers].

To hear Rihanna -- y'know, we’re her favourite band -- and all these other artists saying [such things] is a great honour. When people start saying you influenced me or this influenced me, yeah, it’s an amazing feeling. And when we first started a band, we thought there was no way ever that was gonna happen. We thought it was only going to last a couple years, and here we are 30 years later.

One of the great things about Depeche Mode is the songwriting. A lot of those old songs could come out today. A lot of electronic pop nowadays sounds good, but maybe the internal song isn’t there. Is there a lesson people could learn from that?

The great period for electronic pop was in the early '80s. Eight of the top 10 records in the U.S. were British. Looking back, you can say it was all bad haircuts and things, but there were really great pop songs. I mean, if you tell me now that these songs are great sounding but in and of themselves they’re not great songs, then that’s a shame.

People still listen to "Personal Jesus" thirty years later, right? People still listen to those early songs. And yet I don’t know, maybe some of the Rihanna songs, but a lot of these songs are...

I think it’s a problem with this generation. I was really lucky that when I was about 10 years of age, we had glam in England -- T. Rex, David Bowie, Gary Glitter, Sweet, and Slade, and when I was 16, punk happened. Changed the face of music, and after that was the electronic thing. And even for people, when Oasis were around, that generation, you could say ‘yeah, we have these amazing bands Oasis and Blur.' I have to say with this generation, at the moment, it’s hard to see them looking back and thinking what they can grasp in future years, I’m not so sure.

Obviously, there’s been constant advances in technology. How has that affected the actual creation of a Depeche Mode record?

Generally speaking, more technology creates more options, which can be bad. In the early days, you had a couple synthesizers, you didn’t have many options, and now you have many options. We’re always up for looking at new technology. But you know, we’re using a lot of old favourites still. We take a view, ‘we’ve gotta get a sound,’ and whatever it takes to get that sound.

Are you guys using old synths, are you using modular panels and all the new…

Everything, everything.

An equivalent of an electronic pop band on the more industrial side is Nine Inch Nails, and every time they release a record, it sounds current, but it still sounds like Nine Inch Nails. But he’s obviously incorporated new technology.

Well, Trent’s very good, you know, he’s very talented. That’s what we try and do, we try and make a record that sounds like Depeche Mode -– it’s Dave’s voice, Martin’s songs.

What’s the game plan for the tour?

They can expect what they always get. I think we’re performing our best at the moment. We’ve got these new tracks sounding particularly strong live. They’re very minimal but powerful, which is a good sign. I think our last album, some of the tracks didn’t relate very well to live. And we’re digging out a few tracks we haven’t played live for a long time. I’m sure our fans are going to lap it up.

What's your hindsight take on [1988 the tour documentary] "101"?

It was a very important period for alternative music in America. We were at the forefront, we’re the band that first played [the big stadiums]. And from there, alternative music went on to spawn Nirvana, Pearl Jam, all those artists. These were in the beginning days. It was a big risk playing the Rose Bowl and people thought we were mad, but it turned out to be a great success, and it was such exciting times. And we as a band never thought we’d ever make it in America, because we were too European. And suddenly it was just hysteria, it was like the Beatles or something, it was just crazy, and we just couldn’t believe it at all. So it was a very big turning point for us, something we never ever could believe could have happened.

And it happened before the big American record too, right? "Violator" came out after.

Yeah. This was "Music for the Masses." It was so crazy, we were playing Houston, and getting 39,000 people, and we’d never had a record in the American top 40. Not even an album in the top 40, or a single in the top 40. Having these 40, 50,000 people turning up at gigs, you know.

So how did that happen in the pre-internet era?

That’s when alternative radio was coming from nowhere. People were fed up with American radio playing the Journeys and the Foreigners and stuff. So everyone wanted to listen to new music, and we just happened to be around. The Cure, New Order and people like that. So it was very exciting times.

Were you aware the kind of acid house and the whole rave thing was kind of going on concurrently in the 80s?

Again, that’s bit of a similar thing to what’s going on over here now. We were part of that, as well. We were daddies then, now we’re grandfathers.